China's Sure Bet

As the dollar wobbles, China is pulling back from U.S. Treasury securities and buying up hard assets around the world.

By

Leslie P. Norton

Updated Nov. 8, 2010 12:01 a.m. ET

By

Leslie P. Norton

Updated Nov. 8, 2010 12:01 a.m. ET

THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, China has been investing more overseas in assets like iron, oil and copper than it puts into U.S. government bonds.

China in this year's first half spent $31 billion on hard assets, compared with $23 billion on Treasuries and other U.S. government bonds. Experts say China's investments in each of these asset classes will total about $55 billion for the full year. But even a tie marks a major turnaround from China's previous practices. For many years, the mainland spent next to nothing...